1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the fields of cellular biology and the diagnosis of neoplastic disease. More specifically, the present invention relates to a transmembrane serine protease termed Tumor Antigen Derived Gene-12 (TADG-12), which is overexpressed in ovarian carcinoma.
2. Description of the Related Art
Proteases have been associated directly with tumor growth, shedding of tumor cells and invasion of target organs. Individual classes of proteases are involved in, but not limited to (1) the digestion of stroma surrounding the initial tumor area, (2) the digestion of the cellular adhesion molecules to allow dissociation of tumor cells; and (3) the invasion of the basement membrane for metastatic growth and the activation of both tumor growth factors and angiogenic factors.
The prior art is deficient in the lack of the complete identification of the proteases overexpressed in carcinoma. Specifically, TADG-12, a novel transmembrane serine protease, has not been previously identified in either nucleic acid or protein form. The present invention fulfills this longstanding need and desire in the art.